Roll gripping means for an industrial truck



June 26. 1956 H. 1. HOPPERT l 2,752,055

Rom. GRIPPING MEANS FOR AN INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Fued June 11, 1954 s sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR. HERMA/V J. HOP/9697' Ac/M Arme/wy;

June 26. 1956 H. 1. HoPPl-:RT

ROLL GRIRPING MEANS FOR AN INDUSTRIAL TRUCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June ll, 1954 June 26, 1956 H. J. HOPPERT Rom. GRIRPING MEANS RoR AN INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Filed June 11, 1954 3 Sheets-snee?l 3 United States Patent RLL GRIPPING MEANS FR AN INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Herman J. Hopper-t, Euclid, Ghio, assignor to The Elwell Parker Electric Compmy, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of @hie Application Enne 11, 1954, Serial No. 436,051

8 Claims. (Cl. 214-652) This invention is directed to improvements in industrial trucks and more particularly to industrial trucks adaptable to the grappling and transporting of rolls of sheet steel weighing several thousand pounds.

rl`he general object of the invention is the provision of a roll engaging means of the gripping type which will iirmly engage upended rolls of varying diameters with suficient force whereby the load may be elevated slightly and transported while in upended position.

A further object is the provision of a truck of the tier lift type equipped with an elevating carriage having a powered turntable thereon which supports a load engaging means of the type above referred to whereby heavy rolls of material such as rolls of sheet steel may be grappled and firmly clamped while the rolls are either reclined or upended and whereby the rolls may be transported and stacked in either position.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a roll engaging means on an industrial truck which will serve to gather in a heavy roll to a gripped and transportable position on the truck without requiring a precise maneuvering of the truck relative to the roll.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a load engaging and turning means on the carriage of a tier lift truck which will be operable to engage, transport, turn and stack heavy rolls of sheet steel with minimum power requirements.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description which refers to the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the invention. The essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings Fig. l shows a side elevation of a heavy duty tier lift truck equipped with my roll handling mechanism, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partly sectioned view of the roll handling mechanism when disposed to gather and clamp a roll of material such as steel sheeting, and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the range of load handling of the truck.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a roll grappling or engaging means having a load clamping and lifting capacity of several tons whereby rolls of sheet steel may readily be handled when disposed in upended or reclined position or vice versa and whereby the rolls may be transported from place to place and be stacked or tiered as desired.

The load grappling means is characterized by a hydraulically operated swingable load gathering arm and roll cradle structure mounted upon a powered turntable supported upon the carriage of a tier lift truck in such manner that heavy reclining rolls may be picked up, ele` vated and turned to an upright position or be engaged while in an upended position and lowered to a reclining position. These various operations are etiected by power actuated means under the control of the operator of the truck at the truck operators position.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the truck shown in balancing relation to the forward load handling tier left:

end of the truck.

Brake and safety pedals 15 and 16 are located at the platform or iioor 14 of the operators position. An upright chassis framework 20' supports the steering post 17 and wheel 18 for steering the truck, tilting mechanismfZZ for tilting the tilting mast structure 23 through a rack and gear connection, the carriage elevating means 24, a turn` table mechanism mounted to a carriage Z8 elevatable on mast 23, and valve controls for operating the load engaging and clamping means.

The carriage structure 28 equipped with anti-friction rollers 29 to traverse the channel mast structure 23 is raised and lowered by chain 39 which is operated through chain reaches and suitable reeving by the power unit 24.

The loadeugaging means (see Fig. 2) in the form of a cradle structure 35 is comprised of a spaced pair of like side plates 35h rigidly mounted on a plate 36 xed to a turntable structure 37 on the carriage, a concave cradle shoe or roll contact plate 35a being secured transversely across the lower portion of the side plates to provide load engaging surface fixed relative to the plate 36. An anti-friction connection in the form of bearing balls 38 between the turntable 37 and the race structure 40Yrigid on the carriage is provided to decrease the power required to turn a heavy steel roll of sheeting material. An electric power and gear reduction unit 45'is mounted on vthe* carriage structure at the top thereof and a'pinion 46 of this unit meshes with a ring gear 47 fixed to the turntable structure 37. Accordingly the cradle structure 35 can be power revolved through at least.

The cradle structure 35 constitutes a platform or support for a pair of lspaced hydraulically operated swingable load clamping arms 55 supported on opposite sides of a sliding bracket 52 at pivot 51 whereby this pivot 51V is shiftable toward and away from the load and 'contact shoe in a direction transverse of the pivot axis. The arms carry an arcuately formed load gathering and clamp-v ing shoe 5t). The inner ends of the clamping arms are provided with fan gear formations 53 which meshl with spaced apart fixed racks 54 secured to thein'ner faces of the side plates of the cradle structure 35. The cradle structure has a suitable slideway formed of opposed parallel channel members 35C secured to the inner faces of side plates 351'? for engaging elements 52a on, and for supporting, the slide bracket 52p. A hydraulic raml mechanism 65B disposed centrally between theY racks 54, which may be a single unit or a double unit for greater, clamping power, is secured at one end byangle brackets ticz to the plate 36 andat the movable or pistonend to a transverse member 52]) of the slide. bracket 52. Thev ram or rams thus serve to shift-the bracket 52 thereby to operate the load grappling and clamping shoe 50,.;

As shown in Fig. 3 the range of swinging movement of the load engaging shoe 5u isextensive for the conned design of the load engaging means in that rolls of` sheet steel of varying diameter may be engaged and gathered to the cradle structure and securely clamped thereon.

The source of hydraulic power as stated is mounted on.

the chassis structure and the ram mechanism is of the double acting type with suitable valve controls located convenient to the operators position on the truck, whereby the shoe 50 may be positively operated in both swinging directions by sliding movement in one or theothervdirec-` tion of the slide bracket 52 resulting from expansion or contraction of the ram mechanism 69.

To those skilled in the art it will be apparent that the entire truck design will be of a heavy rugged type usually Vrequired when use is intended in the steel and paper industries and the truck weight serves as a counter-weight about the center of the loadbearing wheels S disposed adjacent the bottom of the tilting mast structure 23.

The power steer, travel, lift, tilt and clamp controls areall disposed at the operators position on the truck from which the operator has visibility of the load before and after engagement thereof. The traveling pivot Si of the swingable load gathering and clamping shoe :Til permits of full retraction of the shoe upon complete contraction of the ram mechanism 60, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the truck may be maneuv'ered with the load engaging means presented to the load in one pass of the truck. When the load center is not disposed to coincideV with the center line of the load when clamped in the cradle structure 35, the swinging movement of the shoe shifts or gathers the load into the grappling mechanism.

It should be noted that by the inclusion of a curved contact plate 56, hinged at one end to projecting lugs 57 secured to the inner faces of brackets 52 in the region of pivot 51, and extending toward the inner edge of the curved cradle shoe plate 35a, a third locus of roll contact is provided in the load-clamping or grappling means. This is of particular advantage in handling heavy rolls by minimizing roll distortion under clamping forces, and further in many cases reducing roll surface damage arising from sliding of the roll on clamping surfaces as the roll is gathered into the mechanism, This inner free end of thecontact pad is biased outwardly from the bracket structure by one or more heavy compression springs 58, each extending out of and reacting on spring housings 59 disposed between and secured to the bracket plate 52 to bear against the hinged contact pad. A stud 61 threaded into the back of pad 56 extends through such spring and an aperture in the back wall of the housing 59 to provide, with the housing, spring locating means; and further, by a nut 62 threaded on the inner free stud end for contact with the housing end wall, adjustable stop means for the outward swing of the contact pad under spring bias. The

Vaperture in the housing end wall is, of course, of size and shape permitting clearance for free movement of the stud where as here the stud is xed instead of hinged to the pad.

When a roll is gathered into the clamping mechanism, it comers to bear against the pad 56 which by the force of the spring applies a reaction force to the roll at a third line of contact reducing roll distortion and also reducing the distance the roll must be gathered into the mechanism to obtain rm clamping purchase.

The size, disposition and shape of the cradle and cradle shoe `35a and of the clamping shoe 50 are selected with respect to the range of roll diameters to be handled, so that when the edge of shoe 35a is brought under a roll lying sideways on a floor, the line of initial contact of the shoe Y 50 with the roll lies outward of the diametral plane through the line of initial contact of plate 35a, so that as the shoe 50 is moved inward, the roll is gathered inwardly into the clamp by camming action of the shoe surfaces (see Fig. 3)'. VThe shape, disposition and adjustment of the contact pad 56 is likewise chosen according to roll size range for applicationv of suitable Contact force to a roll at a desired stage of the roll clamping action.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lower tip of the cradle structure has been brought into abutment with the side of a reclining roll and the shoe has been swung into Contact with the roll as indicated by the dash lines A. Further hydraulic operation of the shoe, in extending the ram mechanism and sliding the bracket 52 toward cradle shoe 35a, gathers the roll up onto the cradle structure 35' as indicated by the dot and dash lines B at which gathered position the load is firmly clamped on the cradle upwardly and clear of the supporting surface of the load and truck and against pad 56 where used. The load may be transported and again deposited while in the indicated reclining position, for example, in a railroad car or road truck; or before deposit the carriage may be' elevated and rotated 90 for depositing the load upright. i

As shown in Fig. 2, the cradle may be brought into approximation to load engagement with an upright roll and the shoe Sil will also have a ygathering effect on the load to shiftY it into clamped position on the cradle structure. The load may be transported in this upright position if desired by elevation of the carriage to have the lower end of the roll to clear the oor. Of course, the load may be rotated 90 for load transport or deposit if desired after carriage elevation to give oor clearance during load rotation.

It is to be understood that while i have referred to steel and paper rolls as the contemplated load to be gathered and clamped to the cradle structure, it will be apparent that the particular load gathering and embracing action of the shoe 50 can also be adapted to the handling and transporting of other loads such as pipe, barrels, bales,

etc., without necessitating several passes of the truck inY approaching the load. t

While I have shown only one hydraulic ram means for operating the load gathering and clamping shoe 56, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that two or more rams 60 may be arranged side by side for operating the shoe, depending upon the load clamping forces desred.

I claim:

1. In an industrial truck of the tier lift type having an elevatable carriage, a turntable on the carriage, and a load engaging structure mounted on the turntable, a load engaging structure comprising: a iirst load engaging member lixed on the turntable, a swingable second load engaging member swingable toward and away from and cooperating with the first member in load engagement, a pivotal mounting means for the swingable load engaging member comprising a slide structure on the turntable slidable toward and away from the tirst load engaging member and a travelable connection between the swingable load engaging member and the xed load engaging member for eiecting a swinging of the second member toward and away from the rst member with advance or retraction of the slide structure toward or away from the irst member.

2. In an industrial truck of the tier lift type having an elevatable carriage, a turntable on the carriage and a load engaging structure mounted on the turntable, a load engaging structure comprising: a first load engaging member Xed to the turntable, a swingable second load engaging member swingable toward and away from and cooperating with the i'rst member in load engagement, a pivotal mounting means for the swingable load engaging member comprising a slide structure on the turntable and slidable toward and away from the rst load engaging member, a travelable connecting means between the swingable load engaging member and the Xed load engaging member for electing swinging of the second member toward or away from the iirst member upon advance or retraction of the slide structure toward or away from the ixed member, and hydraulically operated means on the turntable for advancing and retracting said slide structure relative to the fixed member.

3. In an industrial truck of the tier lift type having an elevatable carriage and a fixed load engaging structure mounted on the carriage, a load engaging structure comprising: a rst load engaging member mounted on the carriage, a swingable load engaging member swingable toward and away from and cooperating with the iirst member in load engagement, a pivotal mounting means for the swingable load engaging member comprising a slide structure slidable toward and away from the lirst load engaging member, a shiftable connection between the swingable load engaging member and the first load engaging member for effecting a swinging of the second member toward or away from the tirst member with advance or retraction of the slide structure toward or away from the iirst member.

4. In an industrial truck adapted to the engaging and transporting of heavy rolls of material, a load engaging means comprising: a roll cradle structure adapted to engage a portion of an upright or a reclining roll of material lengthwise of the roll, a swingable roll gathering member swingable toward and away from the cradle structure for preliminary shifting a roll of material into the cradle structure and thereafter for clamping the roll to the cradle structure, a slide structure movabie relative to the cradle structure and swingably supporting the roll gathering member, connecting means between the roll gathering member and the cradle structure for effecting swinging of the gathering member toward or away from the cradle structure, and hydraulically operated means for operating the slide stmcture and the swingable roll gathering member.

5. In an industrial truck adapted to the engaging and transporting of heavy rolls of material, a load engaging means comprising: a roll cradle structure extending from the truck including a roll contact shoe and adapted to engage a portion of an upright or a reclining roll of material lengthwise of the roll, a swingable roll gathering member swingable toward and away from the contact shoe and including a roll clamping shoe outward of the contact shoe and extending inward from the outer end of said member for preliminarily shifting a roll of material into the cradle structure and thereafter clamping the roll to the cradle structure, a slide structure swingably supporting the roll gathering member and movable relative to the cradle structure in a direction transverse to the axis of swing of said member, fan gear means on the other end of the roll gathering member and rack means on the cradle structure meshed with the fan gear whereby the clamping shoe is swung toward and away from the cradle as the slide is advanced and retracted relative to the cradle, and hydraulically operated means for operating the slide structure and thereby the swingable roll gathering member.

6. In an industrial truck adapted to the engaging and transporting of heavy rolls of material, a roll engaging means comprising: a roll cradle structure including a roll contact shoe, a turntable structure supported on the truck and supporting the cradle structure whereby the cradle structure may be lowered with the contact shoe adjacent to the door for engaging a roll of material in a reclined position, a swingable roll gathering member provided forwardly of the contact shoe with a clamping shoe and adapted to engage a roll and move the roll along the floor into the cradle structure, slide means slidable relative to the cradle structure, said slide means being disposed to slide vertically toward and away from the contact shoe when the cradle is positioned for engaging a reclining roll and pivotally supporting the swingable member, hydraulically operated means for moving said slidable means relative to the cradle, and a travelling connection between one end of the swingable member and the cradle structure.

7. A load engaging and clamping means for an industrial truck comprising: an elevatable turntable structure mounted to overhang one end of the truck, power means for rotationally driving the turntable, a rst load engaging member fixed on the turntable adapted to be brought into proximity of the Jioor supporting the truck, a slide structure on the turntable, hydraulically operated means on the turntable for operating the slide structure toward and away from the load engaging member, a load engaging arm pivotally supported near one end of the slide structure, and a traveling connection between the pivoted end o the arm and the turntable comprising a fan gear on the pivoted end of the arm and meshed there with a rack fixed to the turntable, whereby movement of the slide structure toward the load engaging member will cause the other end of the arm to engage the load and move the load toward the load engaging member xed on the turntable thereby to clamp the load on the turntable.

8. In an industrial truck of the tier lift type a load engaging means comprising: an elevatable carriage, a turntable on the carriage, a load engaging member xed on the turntable, a swingable load engaging member including a load contacting shoe, a pivotal mounting means for the swingable load engaging member, said pivotal mounting means comprising a slide structure on the turntable and slidable toward and away from the first said load engaging member, a travelable connection between the swingable load engaging member and the fixed load engaging member, a third load engaging member hinged at one end to the slide structure near the pivot of and extending away from the load contacting shoe of the swingable load engaging member, power means for moving said slide structure toward and away from the iirst load engaging member, and compression spring bias means operatively disposed between said third member and the swing-able member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,878,994 Abbe Sept. 27, 1932, 2,497,118 Ferrario et al Feb. 14, 1950 2,595,131 Ehmann Apr. 29, 1952 2,596,477 Frischmann et al May 13, 1952 2,635,774 Backofen et al. Apr. 2l, 1953 2,667,283 MacDonald et al Ian. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 919,101 France NOV. 18, 1946 

